Iris Origo Livres

The bestselling diaries of WWII in Tuscany, and the struggle to save the children and the rural way of life.

An extremely moving account of the lonely life of the unloved and tragic genius - described as the greatest modern Italian poet.

A detailed and engrossing account of the last - and arguably most intense - love affair of one of the greatest British poets

Originally published in 1957, this reprint captures the essence of its time, offering readers a glimpse into the historical and cultural context of the era. The narrative weaves together compelling themes and rich character development, inviting exploration of complex relationships and societal norms. With its enduring relevance, the book continues to resonate with contemporary audiences, making it a significant addition to any literary collection.

Francesco di Marco Datini, the fourteenth-century Tuscan merchant who forms the subject of Origo's brilliant study, has now probably become the most intimately accessible figures of the later Middle Ages ... paints, in brilliant and intricate detail, a picture of Italian domestic life on the eve of the Renaissance The Times

The narrative captures Iris Origo's early life, marked by privilege and tragedy. Following her father's untimely death, her mother relocated them to Fiesole, fostering a close bond with art historian Bernard Berenson. Origo's journey through high society and her eventual fulfillment in restoring a desolate Italian estate reveal her evolution as a writer. Through vivid portraits of her parents, cherished places, and the transformative power of literature, she reflects on the complexities of memory and the art of writing, creating a deeply moving autobiographical account.

Bring her up somewhere where she does not belong... I'd like her to be a little 'foreign'. Iris Origo was born in 1902 and spent her youth in the ancestral estate on Long Island and in her grandfather's castle in Ireland. Her father died tragically when she was eight, and she continued her peripatetic life with her indefatigable mother and beloved governess. A woman who always knew her mind, in 1923 Origo bought La Foce, an entire valley, almost feudal in organisation, in the Val d'Orcia of Tuscany. There for fifty years she worked tirelessly with her husband, improving the land and the lot of the peasants, saving endangered children from the brutal incursions of the Nazis, and writing history and memoirs that are still considered classics of the genre. She was at once a woman of action and introspection, of boundless curiosity and endearing innocence. She wrote beautifully, thoughtfully, and lucidly, especially when she turned the lens on herself and her own life.

Set against the backdrop of Italy in the lead-up to World War II, this unpublished diary offers a poignant reflection on the nation's reluctant march toward conflict. Iris Origo, a British expatriate deeply intertwined with Italian society, captures the growing sense of unease and absurdity as Mussolini's government declares war in June 1940. Her observations reveal the disillusionment and turmoil experienced by ordinary citizens, highlighting the stark contrast between their lives and the looming horrors of war.

A harrowing account of life in Italy in the year leading up to World War II.

War in Italy in 1939 was by no means necessary, or even beneficial to the country. But in June 1940, Mussolini finally declared war on Britain and France. The awful inevitability with which Italy stumbled its way into a war for which they were ill prepared and largely unenthusiastic is documented here with grace and clarity by one of the twentieth century's great diarists. This diary, which had never been published and was recently found in Origo's archives, is the sad and gripping account of the grim absurdities that Italy and the world underwent as war became more and more unavoidable. Iris Origo, British-born and living in Italy, was ideally placed to record the events: extremely engaged with the world around her, connected to people from all areas of society (from the peasants on her estate to the US ambassador to Italy), she writes of the turmoil, the danger, and the dreadful bleakness of Italy in the years 1939-1940, as war went from a possibility to a dreadful reality. A Chill in the Air covers the beginning of a war whose catastrophic effects are documented in the bestselling War in Val D'Orcia .